Michigan City police official: Drug sweeps proving effective

MICHIGAN CITY -- Another 20 or so alleged drug dealers were taken off the streets in Michigan City on Wednesday. That's in addition to the 21 alleged drug-dealing offenders rounded up Tuesday.

So far this year, about 175 people have been arrested in six sweeps in an effort that will continue indefinitely in a bid to have safer neighborhoods.

Sgt. David Legros, commander of the Michigan City Police Department Street Crimes Unit, said crime this year is down 11 percent despite high unemployment, which to him means the sweeps have had a signficant impact.

He said there are fewer drug dealers around to feed addictions that result in crimes like burglary and theft to get money for narcotics.

''I think it's really making a huge difference,'' Legros said.

Wednesday's sweeps focused entirely on alleged sellers of prescription pills. Legros said heroin has become a major problem and one way to attack it is to round up sellers of prescription pills.

He believes illegal consumption of prescription pills often leads to heroin use.

''It's a gateway drug to the heroin,'' Legros said.

Police Chief Mark Swistek increased the number of officers in the street crimes unit from four to eight when he took over the department last year.

It sprung from a desire from Mayor Chuck Oberlie for safer neighborhoods as part of an overall plan to revitalize the city and lure more companies here.

LaPorte County Police Chief of Detectives John Boyd said that because of the crackdown in Michigan City, he believes the unincorporated areas are benefiting from fewer theft-related crimes, which have consistently been high in recent years.

''We've noticed that there's been somewhat of a lull in our burglaries,'' Boyd said.

Legros could not predict when the next sweep will occur, but said ,''I'm sure it will be very soon.''

He credited prosecutors and the courts for making the effort possible by adjusting their schedules to process the increase in criminal cases stemming from the effort.

Legros said his unit has also teamed up with drug investigators from the county and city of LaPorte, where some narcotics sellers are fleeing to escape the heat in Michigan City.

''Our goal together is to push it out of LaPorte County. We're not going to give up,'' Legros said.